Medical Cannabis Testing & Certification

ACS Laboratory provides the most accurate qualitative and quantitative cannabis testing for Florida’s leading Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTC).

Testing Delivers Formal Certificates of Analysis

Our Certificates of Analysis (COAs), known as lab reports, detail the origins, testing methods, and results for each medical cannabis sample, ensuring full compliance with Florida law. Each COA includes essential data on cannabinoid profiles, microbiological presence, and potential contaminants, providing a comprehensive product safety and quality overview. Our stringent reporting standards ensure reliability and transparency in every analysis.

Compliant Cannabis Potency Testing

THC has been the primary focus when evaluating cannabinoid potency due to its well-known psychoactive effects. However, the cannabis industry now recognizes the importance of a broader spectrum of cannabinoids, such as CBD, CBN, CBT, CBL, and CBC.

Our medical cannabis potency panel identifies the exact concentrations of THC, CBD, and nine other cannabinoids mandated for MMTCs by Florida law. We also offer an enhanced cannabinoid potency option, covering up to 30 cannabinoids. Our advanced testing methods ensure dependable and uniform results valued by MMTCs and Patients for ensuring the quality and consistency of medical cannabis products in Florida.

Testing Medical Cannabis for Safety and Purity

Our medical cannabis safety panel tests for 68 pesticides, 4 heavy metals, and 21 residual solvents to meet Florida’s stringent regulations. Additional safety and purity compliance testing includes moisture content and water activity to detect early mold, microbiology, micronutrients, mycotoxins, filth, and foreign materials. Learn more about our Florida medical cannabis compliance panel here.

Identifying and Measuring Terpenes

We test for 38 terpenes that are crucial to the cannabis experience and contribute to each strain's unique aroma and flavor. These compounds, alongside flavonoids, contribute to the entourage effect by modulating how cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system to produce their effects. Although not required by Florida law, terpene profiling provides valuable insights into strain’s therapeutic properties and sensory profiles. Explore our terpene and flavonoid blogs for more detailed information.

ACS Laboratory tests all forms of Medical Cannabis in Florida

Our scientists have the expertise to accurately test every product type for Florida MMTCs, including cannabis flower, concentrates, extracts, nanoemulsions, beverages, and edibles, including gummies and chocolate. We also test cannabis vapes, tinctures, transdermal patches, inhalers, and topicals, including cannabis skin creams.

Formal Certificates of Analysis with QR Codes

Our ACS Laboratory team validates every cannabis sample report by generating a certificate of analysis (COA) in a secure online portal with client-only access. We also provide QR codes linked to the COA for product packaging and offer blockchain tracking as an option for future-proofing, tamper-proofing, and security. Every COA is available in English and Spanish.

A scientist transferring CBD oil over to a vial for potency testing

Our Accreditations and Compliance Certifications

When selecting a laboratory to test cannabis, there are a number of different metrics, accreditations, and testing methodologies that should be taken into account, along with location. First and foremost, we are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 compliant. We are registered with the AHCA, CLIA, and the DEA (#RA0571996). ACS was awarded a total of 82 Emerald Badges, an inter-laboratory comparison and proficiency test through 2019-2021. As a result of our years of experience operating as a clinical testing laboratory aiding in the quantitative aspects of method development, ACS is able to disseminate clinical grade results.

Our Facilities and Personnel

ACS Laboratory employs a dedicated and experienced team led by Dr. Aixia Sun, our Principal Scientist and Laboratory Director. Dr. Sun brings over 20 years of expertise in diagnostics, environmental science, pharmaceutical R&D, clinical toxicology, and cannabis testing. She oversees our 20,000-square-foot facility, utilizing medical-grade instruments such as HPLC/LCMS, GC/MS, ICP/MS, and LCUV for high-quality cannabis testing.
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Our knowledgeable customer support teams are available by phone, providing a 3-5 day turnaround time and a fleet of couriers for sample pickups.

A scientist transferring Cannabis into vials

Florida Pesticide Testing

According to Florida's DOH governing board in statute 381.986, any pesticide used in the production of cannabis flower (medical marijuana) or low-THC cannabis (hemp) must be registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These pesticides must be classified as minimum risk, and the ingredients in the pesticide must be exempt from tolerance requirements. Florida law requires that medical marijuana be tested for pesticides. In addition to pesticides, the DOH’s proposed lab certification and testing standards rules state that medical cannabis cannot contain any level of microbes, mycotoxins, agricultural agents, residual solvents, heavy metals, or filth and foreign materials found in an amount that exceeds any of the department’s accepted limitations. At ACS, we analyze medical cannabis in accordance with these rules.

Florida's Cannabis Classification

Cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug, according to the Controlled Substances Act. The 2018 USDA Farm Bill applies to hemp containing less than .3% Delta-9 THC. Cannabis and Hemp are considered to be different classifications of the plant and governed differently. In Florida the governing body for Cannabis is the Florida Department of Health and for Hemp it is the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Consistent therewith, the FDA and DEA have concluded that marijuana has no federally approved medical use for treatment in the U.S. and thus it remains as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law.